It sure feels like a formality at this point that the Eagles will trade WR A.J. Brown to the Patriots after June 1 when the impact on their salary cap for this year is diminished. The biggest question seems to be what the return will be going back the other way, but everyone involved sure seems to be operating under the assumption that Brown will be in New England, not Philadelphia. 

If this offseason has taught us anything about the NFL, though, it’s that a deal isn’t done until it’s DONE. That means a signed contract and a passed physical, something the Raiders had to be reminded of the hard way when the Maxx Crosby trade fell apart. The Patriots and Eagles might have a loose understanding or framework of a deal, but there’s nothing binding at this point. That’s not how the NFL works. 

What that means is that there’s a possibility, however remote, of a mystery team swooping in and making the Eagles a better trade offer. That might be ideal in some ways for GM Howie Roseman, as his leverage is better with multiple suitors than if it’s the Patriots or bust. The list of potential suitors for Brown won’t be much longer at this point in the offseason, as most teams have made other plans in free agency and the draft. But there are enough that still need a boost at wide receiver to potentially make things interesting. 

It would be a curveball for Brown to land somewhere besides New England — not the biggest curveball of the offseason, as that honor belongs to the Crosby trade void, but certainly in the conversation for the top three. Here are three possible candidates who might be able to make it happen. 

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams have already engaged the Eagles in trade talks for Brown, throwing their hat in the ring at the end of March before pivoting and going in a different direction. Those talks apparently got serious enough that the Rams informed WR Davante Adams he could be traded, either as part of the deal or in another transaction to make room. ESPN reporter Adam Schefter has said he thought at one point he’d be reporting Brown to Los Angeles. 

Ultimately the Rams didn’t pull the trigger, and there’s been some chatter that they weren’t totally comfortable with the medical report on Brown’s knee. There was also a widespread expectation that they would be going pass catcher early in the draft with the No. 13 overall pick, adding another weapon for QB Matthew Stafford to help them get over the top for another Super Bowl. Instead they were responsible for another of the offseason’s big curveballs, shocking the NFL and drafting Alabama QB Ty Simpson as a future heir to Stafford. 

The merits of that pick are a whole separate discussion, but it does mean the Rams still have a need at No. 3 receiver. They were commonly mocked USC WR Makai Lemon for the No. 13 pick with the idea that he’d work behind Adams for a season and be ready to transition into a big role alongside No. 1 WR Puka Nacua when Adams’ contract expired in 2027. The Rams did get TE Max Klare in the second round to help them lean even more on multi-tight end sets, but the third receiver will be some combination of Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield or rookie CJ Daniels, all sixth or seventh-round picks the last couple of years. 

When Nacua and Adams are the top two options, a questionable No. 3 receiver is kind of a champagne problem. But that’s the world the Rams are living in right now as Super Bowl hopefuls. The standard is higher. It’s part of why they’ve been second-guessed so much on the Simpson pick, as that doesn’t really do anything to help them push past the Seahawks, who beat them two out of three times last year and ended up winning the Super Bowl. 

Rams GM Les Snead did drop an interesting nugget, however, in one of several media appearances after the draft to explain/justify the Simpson pick. He said now that the Rams have a quarterback of the future they believe in, that frees them up to be aggressive with their future first-round selections to fortify the roster even more. Snead leaned into the memes about “F- them picks” in the years where the Rams were particularly aggressive trading away draft capital, and he seemed to be strongly suggesting the organization will pivot back that way. 

That could put a Brown trade back on the table for the Rams given it would address probably their biggest remaining need. There are other hurdles to clear. The Rams would need to be comfortable with Brown’s health, the trade price and bringing on his salary. A move for Brown would also be on top of keeping Adams and Nacua, and the Rams have to figure out whether there are enough targets to go around to keep all three satisfied. Brown in particular has not been mollified just by winning when his involvement in the offense has been sketchy the last few years. 

It’s hard to see the Rams giving up a first-round pick unless there was something significant coming back. Taking on around $29 million in cash for Brown with all of the other players due for contract extensions would also be a tall task. That said, Brown’s guarantees are mostly up after this season, so it wouldn’t be an extensive commitment by the Rams. Brown could also remain under contract when Adams leaves in 2027, allowing the Rams to retain a player who can beat press man coverage which is the chief value Adams provides. 

Ultimately, a trade isn’t particularly likely, but the Rams’ previous interest in Brown and their lack of movement at receiver so far this offseason has left the door propped open just a tiny little crack. 

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders have put a lot of thought into trying to break the recent streak of No. 1 picks who have struggled through absolutely horrendous environments as rookies. Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Young, Caleb Williams and Cam Ward all were on such dysfunctional teams that it resulted in the head coaches who picked them getting fired. Las Vegas has made multiple moves to try and head that off, including paying veteran QB Kirk Cousins to be a mentor and placeholder so the team doesn’t feel pressured to rush first-round QB Fernando Mendoza into the lineup. 

However, most teams that draft a first-round quarterback follow it up by drafting a player or two specifically to support that player. After taking Mendoza No. 1, the Raiders had three picks on Day 2 and waited until pick No. 91 to take OL Trey Zuhn, who will compete for a starting guard spot. Las Vegas didn’t draft a pass catcher until the sixth round. 

The Raiders did use the No. 6 pick on RB Ashton Jeanty last year and another first-rounder the year before that on stud TE Brock Bowers who will be the top target no matter who is under center. But the receiving corps is still surprisingly poor. The top three will be some combination of Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor and Jack Bech, with possibly inputs from Dont’e Thornton and sixth-rounder Malik Benson. 

Tucker probably has to be considered the No. 1 option by default, as he’s developed into a starter over the past two seasons with 1,235 combined yards on 104 catches with eight touchdowns. The Raiders paid Nailor $18 million guaranteed as a free agent because they think he has more potential than he showed buried on the depth chart in Minnesota but his career-high in receiving is only 444 yards. Bech was a second-round pick last year but struggled to get on the field. He played only 37 percent of the snaps and had 20 catches for 211 scoreless yards. Thornton, a fourth-rounder, was worse even if he played slightly more, catching 10 passes for 135 yards. 

As No. 3 and No. 4 options, this group would be fine, but at least two of them are going to be pressed into duties as the No. 1 and No. 2 receiver as things stand right now, even if the offense runs through Jeanty and Bowers. That will create some challenges. The Raiders are rebuilding and getting reps for the young players is important for evaluation, but so is running a functioning offense. It would not be surprising to see the Raiders dip into the pool of veteran receivers to make a signing at some point this year. 

Giving up picks for a 29-year-old Brown at first glance doesn’t seem like a move that fits Las Vegas’ window of competitiveness. However, there’s precedent for the addition of a No. 1 receiver helping to supercharge the development of a young quarterback. Brown’s skillset as an outside receiver who’s good with the ball in the air also fits with Mendoza’s strengths as a passer outside the numbers. 

With Crosby back in the fold, the Raiders might not be as far away from being competitive as previously thought if Mendoza and new HC Klint Kubiak are hits. Brown also still has four years under contract, so there’s some flexibility here for the Raiders to not just treat it like a short-term rental to chase a ring. They probably have the biggest need on paper for a receiver still out of any team, and that should make Brown at least a consideration. 

Baltimore Ravens

The Crosby trade falling through left the Ravens with some extra money to spend this offseason, but it was too late in free agency to do a whole lot besides pivot to Trey Hendrickson. Spending big in free agency isn’t Baltimore’s style anyway. That said, the urgency around the team to maximize the Super Bowl window while QB Lamar Jackson is at his peak is palpable. 

It’s fair to say the Ravens could use some more help at receiver. They’re not short on weapons, with WR Zay Flowers as the No. 1 target and guys like TE Mark Andrews and WR Rashod Bateman as complementary pieces. Baltimore double-dipped at both receiver and tight end in the draft too, adding third-round WR Ja’Kobi Lane, fourth-round WR Elijah Sarratt, fourth-round TE Matthew Hibner and fifth-round TE Josh Cuevas. The whole system will be built around the human battering ram, RB Derrick Henry, with contributions from Jackson on the ground as well. 

But for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, are Andrews, Bateman and a batch of rookies really enough weaponry to complement Flowers and surround Jackson? 

Brown would replace Bateman as the primary outside receiver and give the Ravens the type of presence at receiver they haven’t had in a long time. He’d be a ball-winner who could build the same kind of trust with Jackson that veteran WR DeAndre Hopkins seemed to have while being a more dynamic option than Hopkins at this stage of his career. He’d take pressure off of Andrews, who has seen his production diminish the last couple of seasons, and allow the rookies like Sarratt and Lane to develop at their own pace. 

The Ravens have been much more willing to explore trades at a certain price point, especially when it comes to veteran players. They’re active, too, and odds are strong that they’ve at least monitored the trade market for Brown to keep a pulse on how things are going. If the Patriots try to drive down the price from the Eagles under the rationale that they’re the only bidders, at some point the Ravens might decide to get involved. The chance to steal Brown from an AFC competitor is also an under-the-radar perk in a deal.